


A Haunting Halloween at Garreg Mach University

by achilleanvillain



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: College AU, Double Date, F/M, Fluff, Halloween, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-10-30
Packaged: 2021-01-13 06:35:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21239762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/achilleanvillain/pseuds/achilleanvillain
Summary: Sylvain has a plan to get his friends together for his favorite holiday, even though they're all swamped with classes. A spooky double date ensues.





	A Haunting Halloween at Garreg Mach University

October twenty-fifth. Midterms were coming up at Garreg Mach University, and Byleth was swamped with preparations for his own exams as well as generally keeping the peace as a resident assistant. Fall break had already come and gone, and he’d barely spent any of it relaxing. Autumn had been his favorite season before he started college, and he felt like he was wasting it away on his newfound academic responsibility instead of the apple cider and hayrides he had enjoyed so much. The only experience he got of the autumn weather he enjoyed so much was walking through campus from the coffee shop to another lecture on chemistry.

His phone buzzed. You’ve received a new message from “Sylvain Gautier”.

“hey byleth, what are you and bern doin for halloween? 👻👻👻”

Studying, he thought to himself with a sigh. That was too blunt an answer, but he hadn’t had a spare moment to think about any sort of recreation since the start of the month. What little time to himself he did have was often spent laying in the lap of his girlfriend, the quiet creative writing student Bernadetta. The two had been dating for nearly a year now, and they made a perfect pair as Byleth’s odd aloofness matched her reserved, bashful personality. Through a stroke of luck, Sylvain had made friends with Bernadetta in one of their shared creative writing classes, and the quiet pair had a matching pair of reliable friends in the form of Sylvain and his boyfriend, Linhardt.

He tapped out a quick response. 

“I don’t think we have plans yet. I haven’t had time to talk to her yet, but I doubt we’ll have time to do anything. Sorry.”

His phone buzzed again almost instantly. He still wasn’t used to Sylvain’s… prompt responses.

“come on! at the very least lin and i can come over and we can watch a scary movie or somethin? come onnnnn i spent so much time on this costume T_T plus won’t bernie wanna dress up?”

Byleth had noticed his girlfriend silently getting into the spirit. Her dorm room had been adorned with pumpkins and the celebratory colors of black and orange. She’d probably want to do something, and the two of them hadn’t had much time to spend together in these hectic times. Perhaps if he shuffled some of his schedule around, he could make time for a little diversion. Of course, that was all contingent on Bernadetta’s comfort with hanging out with other people, but she had come out of her shell slightly in recent months, so Byleth had high hopes.

“Alright, I’ll talk to her and see if we have time, and if she’s okay with people coming over. You said Lin would come too?”

“yep! it’ll be a spooooooky double date! 😉”

Sylvain’s ability to maintain his debonair attitude at all times was impressive, frankly. After making a mental note to talk with Bernadetta later about all this Halloween business, he rushed to the coffee shop on campus to see how much sugar they could legally serve him in one drink before his next lecture began.

* * *

Linhardt’s eyes were barely adjusted to the darkness in his room before he noticed the blinking light on his phone reflecting off the ceiling. He grabbed the phone off his nightstand and flicked it on. 3:30 PM. A little early to wake up, especially since all his classes were scheduled for the evening. Before he pulled the covers back over his face to return to sleep, however, he noted the reason for the blinking light. You’ve received a new message from “Sylvie <3”.

“lin! we’re going over to byleth’s on halloween! get a costume together~!”

Well, that was unexpected. He hadn’t planned for this at all. Yet, despite his natural inclination to want to spend that night either working on his studying for pre-med or taking yet another extremely well-deserved nap, he also found the idea of getting to hang out with his boyfriend on the holiday he was so excited for quite appealing. Plus, he didn’t mind Byleth and Bernadetta. They had very similar personalities to himself.

“do i have to make a costume? will they care? can’t i just show up and eat candy?”

Sylvain’s response was immediate and featured the kind of pouting Linhardt had become familiar with when Sylvain’s unbounded excitement met his dour stubbornness.

“liiiiiiiiiiiin T_T i’ll help, how about that?”

“sure thing sylvie. goin back to bed now. night <3”. Linhardt put his phone back on the charger and let sleep take him once more.

* * *

Sylvain smiled at his phone, sitting with the campus centre. His grand plan to get his friends out of their respective shells and to celebrate his far and away favorite holiday was almost complete. He only had one more person he needed to convince. Phone held in his hand above the math homework he was procrastinating over, he scrolled through his contacts, landing on “Bernie ✏️”. He gave all his friends emoji, and the creative spirit Bernie embodied seemed perfectly encapsulated therein. He took a moment to ponder the best way to broach the subject, and landed on…

“bernie! let me come over on halloween! it’ll be fun!”

“Huh? I mean… I don’t know, Sylvain.”

“lin will be with me, and plus didn’t you talk the other day about getting into sewing? you could make a great costume!”

“I know, but I’m still not super comfortable with people other than Byleth visiting. I like to keep my room as my sort of creative sanctuary.”

“well we can go to byleth’s place! he’s an ra, he’s probably got a great dorm!”

“Hm… you know I’m not good with this sort of thing, but if Byleth will be there I suppose I can give it a shot. Plus I do want to work on a costume, so…”

“perfect! great! see you there!”

Sylvain dismissed his message app. He was extremely excited. Unfortunately, this meant that he had to get back to work, since he had no more excuses. Well, or he could look up what he’d need to finish off his costume. He’d get to the homework in a little.

* * *

Bernadetta was fretting. She loved Halloween, because it gave her a chance to express her creative side, and the spooky stories were a fun way to get scared in a way that wasn’t just an expression of her anxiety for once. However, hanging out with people made her intensely nervous, even those she had known for a while like Sylvain and Linhardt. Byleth she was comfortable with, his calming words and odd personality had some sort of strange soothing effect on the normally panicky girl. She wanted to get better about all this, though. It was just a few friends coming over to hang out with her and Byleth. Nothing to worry about. Nothing at all.

She could get her mind off of this. She could start putting together her costume. She had a few bits of fabric she could work together, and a moderate set of clothes that she rarely wore. Maybe there was something she could put together that was sufficiently spooky. She got to work immediately sorting through what she had and what she’d need. A deep purple dress, matching her hair. That would be a good base for an outfit. But if she was going for that, she’d need a hat, so she set aside some fabric for that… This was going to take a lot of work.

* * *

October thirty-first. Carrying a bag full of clothes for her costume, Bernadetta skulked through the mostly-empty halls toward the dormitory where her boyfriend lived. She’d usually try to avoid the gaze of others, but it seemed everyone else who would normally be around was already engaged in some other form of festivity. There were still a few hours before their little get-together was supposed to start, but Byleth and her had wanted to spend some time together before the true festivities began, as they hadn’t had much time to spend together recently. A quick knock at his door, and it swung open, as if some unseen force beckoned.

Bernadetta trepidatiously stepped through the threshold, seeing no one inside. “Hello?” her voice called out, shakily. The television set in the main room was flickering static, and the lights were dimmed. She took another step into the room, before a sound emanated from behind her, as if it were hidden behind the door. “Hello,” the stoic voice replied. Bernadetta’s shriek was immediate and loud.

“Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you quite that much.” Byleth came out from behind the door, where he had been hidden. Bernadetta’s fear turned into a pout, as she glared at the boy who had given her a cheap scare. Still, the two shared a brief kiss.

“I’ve missed you. Everything’s been so busy recently.” Bernadetta wrapped her arms around Byleth’s shoulders.

“Once exams are over, we’ll have to go on a nice date, somewhere special.”

“Mmm. Sounds nice.” The two broke their hug apart. “Hold on, let me go get my costume on.” Bernadetta shuffled off to the bathroom as Byleth relit the lights to try to banish some of the spooky atmosphere he had created to spook his easily startled girlfriend. Minutes later, Bernadetta returned, clad in a beautiful violet dress. Copious petticoats made a fairly standard ball gown seem fanciful and imposing, and a large-brimmed hat completed the witchy look and allowed her to hide her face should she so desire. Spider web themed tights adorned her legs, leading down to a set of heels that Byleth had never seen her wear before. A few small stuffed potions attached to her side rounded out the aesthetic.

“Well? How does it look?” Bernadetta’s voice was tempered with unease. It seemed Byleth would be the first to see the costume she’d spent the last week carefully crafting, and her usual anxiety was bubbling underneath the surface.

“Hmm, how do I put it… you both look stunningly beautiful, and like you’re going to put a hex on me.” Byleth said with a flirty smile. The two shared another kiss, longer this time.

“So, Bylie. Where’s your costume?”

Byleth rubbed the back of his head, slightly bashful. “Well, uh. I haven’t actually had time to put anything together. Sorry.” Bernadetta pouted again, and Byleth protested slightly. “Does, uh, cute boyfriend count as a costume?”

“Hmm…” A smirk on her face, the shorter girl put her hand under her boyfriend’s chin, tilting his head up slightly. “I mean, next year I can make a new costume and you could borrow this one? It might be a little short for you, though.” Bernadetta’s voice was slightly more teasing than Byleth was used to, but he couldn't complain. The blush on his face was obvious as he stuttered out a noncommittal “we’ll see”.

After rising to her tiptoes for a quick kiss, Bernadetta pulled a few small decorations - stuffed spiders and jack-o’-lanterns she had crafted herself, and set to decorating Byleth’s apartment. Afterward, the two lay together on the couch for a few short hours, hands engulfed in each other’s hair, relaxing and talking about the stresses of class. It was nice to have some time to relax together.

* * *

A knock at the door interrupted the two, whose activities had been shifting slowly from “talking about classes” to “making out on the couch”. Beyond the door, a familiar voice could be heard.

“Byleth! Open up!” Sylvain had arrived, presumably with Linhardt in tow. The two broke apart, not wanting to end their romantic encounter, but being forced to. Byleth went and opened the door, revealing the debonair flirt wearing a detailed vampire outfit. His boyfriend stood behind him, clad in a white lab coat. “Happy Halloween,” Sylvain exclaimed in a voice dripping with dramatic flair. His teeth were equipped with a set of false fangs. His cape, velvet colored red and black, hung menacingly over his arm, at odds with his somewhat goofy, over-the-top attitude. Linhardt was slightly hidden behind his boyfriend’s dramatic antics. The two entered the small entranceway to the dormitory.

Granting herself a small burst of courage, Bernadetta got up from the couch to greet the guests. “Ooh, Sylvain, I love your costume. And Lin, you’re a … doctor?”

Linhardt’s response was kind but brief. “Mhm.”

Byleth interjected. “Just because you’re pre-med and have a lab coat doesn’t make this a doctor costume.”

Linhardt stuck his tongue out. “Says who? Plus, you aren’t even wearing a costume.”

“Yeah, but you aren’t allowed to be mean to me, because I’m paying for the pizza.”

Linhardt relented, and the four of them returned the couch, Byleth one side with Bernadetta sat on his lap, and Linhardt cuddled with Sylvain on the other. Byleth set up a scary film of his choice to play on the television, and ordered a pizza.

* * *

The lights dimmed, the four sat watching the film with varying intensity. As the killer on-screen pursued their innocent victims, Bernadetta squeezed the hand of her boyfriend, keeping a scream inside her. Nearby, Sylvain was trying and failing to subtly put his arm around his boyfriend in the dark. Out of pity for his boyfriend’s failed subtlety, Linhardt had cuddled up closer to Sylvain.

“You know, Bernadetta,” Linhardt said between bites of the pizza Byleth had ordered, “I suspect you could write something particularly spooky.”

Bernadetta had a little pile of candy in her hands she was working through. “Mm, I don’t think my skills are quite there yet…”

Sylvain retorted. “Don’t be silly, Bernie! I’ve read all your stories, they’re great.”

“And I’m still not sure I’m not going to have to throw you into the fire the world forgets about them someday.”  
The two laughed, before turning their attention back to the grisly spectacle proceeding on the television.

* * *

By the time the film was over, Bernadetta had stretched out in Byleth’s lap, stomach sick from the amount of candy she’d eaten. Byleth had his arms carefully wrapped around her for maximum comfort. Linhardt, for his part, had fallen asleep at Sylvain’s side, leaning up against his shoulder. Speaking quietly, Sylvain securely grabbed his boyfriend and thanked Byleth, excusing himself. Seemed this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. As Sylvain left, bridal carrying the sleeping Linhardt, Byleth made sure Bernadetta was comfortable.

“You’re sure you don’t need any medicine for your stomach ache?”

“No, no, it’s fine.” The violet-haired girl was sounding drowsier and drowsier as time went on. Byleth caught a glance of the stove clock. 1 A.M. Made sense for her to be sleepy, and it wasn’t even technically Halloween anymore.

“Was having people over okay?”

“Mmm… yeah. I can get used to having a few people over. Well, those people. I don’t know about others.”

Byleth yawned. “Glad to hear it, Bernie-bear. Wanna stay over tonight? We can cuddle, I don’t have class in the morning.”

The two went to Byleth’s bedroom, finding warmth in each other beneath the covers.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I was glad to get this out before Halloween. These are my fave 3H ships at the moment, and I wanna play around in this AU more. Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> [My twitter](https://twitter.com/achileanvillain)  
Discord: Cam 🍍#6969


End file.
